Should I send some 2015 cents off to be graded?

Ask yourself why you, someone with little or no experience, would be able to successfully play this game while many others with experienced eyes cannot.

This is no different from the nauseatingly common idea to buy raw coins, submit them, and reap the rewards. Yes, it certainly can be done, but if it was just that simple, wouldn't everyone do it? If you want to make money in this hobby, knowledge is key, but you can also try thinking outside the box. Doing exactly what crosses every other new collector's mind isn't likely to cut it.

 

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Luck. The people quoting Dirty Harry aren’t very far off. While there is some skill, it doesn’t matter how good of a grader you are if you get stuck with a bunch of damaged coins. I pretty much just assumed that everyone already was doing it and I was just late to the party. At this point I’m just planning on selling off the rolls (or the whole box) for whatever I can get and washing my hands of it.

 

I agree with that. It's just us small frys that would just like a ms67. Just to say we have one. I'm kinda in that boat. Hbut your right with your advice

 

Wow. Great answer. Yourr on your game today

 

Damn. Did you use a coupon to get it for 10 bucks. Great job. Personally i would of kept it and gave to my grandbabies

 

Nonsense! While luck can certainly play a part, promoting the it's all "luck" crap is what results in folks without a clue submitting junk expecting profitable gems.

What I told you when new to the forum and wanting to make money still stands. Knowledge is key and is closely followed by being honest with yourself as to your true abilities, at least unless willing to jack the next guy. While not every OBW box is going to contain top pop and/or worthwhile high end candidates, and luck comes into play in finding one that does, anyone without grading knowledge and experience simply pulling what they think are the best ones to submit is a fool's errand, and really is as simple as that.

Even if only for next time, just think about this for a moment. The answer as to why such assumptions are foolish should become rather clear. If all one needed to do was dig though bulk coins that can be had at or close to face, pull a few of the "nicest" and send off before selling at profitable levels, everyone would be doing it but also means there wouldn't be a market for them.

 

I do believe that almost ALL exceptionally high grade modern circulation-intended slabbed coins coin from "bulk submissions". The reason I suspect this is the frequency with which REALLY high grade NGC coins have quite high 3-digit numbers after the hyphen of the serial number, indicating HUNDREDS of coins in the submission.

In a bulk order, examination is at a cheaper negotiated rate and the regular slabbing charge is only charged for coins making the "cut grade". A single collector has virtually no way to do that.

 

I agree with you. I was just checking out some reverse proof Maple Leafs on e-bay and the graded PF69s were selling for less than the raw ones!!!

 

Normal collectors can bulk submit to NGC with the highest tier membership and NGC charges more for better grades in that bulk program

 

Go through the box and pick out the best ones. Look for any that may be PL. Whittle that number down to one or two. Cash in the rest of the coins and use that to pay for grading your best coin. You have been sitting on the $25 for three years. That is the only reason I suggested what I did. If you had received the box yesterday my answer would be different.

Before you sell the whole box, it would be wise to see how much shipping will cost and any selling fees. Most buyers will only want to pay $25 for the box. I wouldn't pay a penny over $25.

 

IMHO, if you are an excellent grader and can properly grade an MS 67 or68 it wouldn't pay to have them graded. I have some Zincoln cents that I think may reach MS 67 but I'm not an expert. Even the tiniest bit of damage can keep it below MS 67. I can't even make up my mind if it matches coins show on PCGS Photograde. If you think you have a top graded coin why not post them on Coin Talk. many members are pretty good at grading.

 

No - someone at my club put it up and it went down for $10. Some here may say not possible, but I picked up a 1992 Close AM for $2 at the same club. Heritage sold it and I netted a 1909-S VDB when the dust settled. Just need to pay attention...

 

I did this very thing back in 2016. Being new to collecting and trying to fill a special dollar and cents order to ANACS, I picked 3 modern cents. Yes, I know ANACS is not the TOP grader, but I was able to get a 2015 MS67, a 2016 MS67, and a 2016 MS68. Went through many rolls to find those that had a good strike and had no dings or dents. Was it worth it? Sure this time, but I doubt I would do it again after learning more on collecting.

 

Not trying to single you out but this sort of thing drives me a little crazy. I swear the community is 99% people only worried about trying to flip anything they possibly can for a profit and 1% people who don't worry about that aspect and just care about adding to their collection. I just can't imagine ever having 3 year old cents and worrying about not getting anything over face for them.

 

Ah for the days of 2009 and 2010. We were PAYING over face to the mint for cents.

 

Must not have been a NGC or PCGS coin.

 

Good deal! I've done the same with PCGS MS69 graded cents and nickels at the $5.00 purchase point.

 

PCGS... There are a couple of hundred 69's in the POP. PCGS and NGC have it in the $90 range...

 

... which requires at least two bidders who care, something that cannot be guaranteed. I do believe this is the phenomenon that both @BrendanB and @tommyc03 were describing. I had the same experience with a 1939 Reverse of '38 nickel in PCGS MS66FS. I was obviously the only bidder on hand who cared to think about what it was. I got it for well less than half of the slabbing fee.

I've read some posts here calling this kind of thing a "local market inefficiency" and intimating that it is somehow unusual. Not to me it's not. I call it buying coins.

 

There are much better ways to make a nice profit while having fun. I started out going to antique and flea markets and made tremendous finds from time to time. You have the potential to make some real finds if you take the time for acquiring some knowledge and searching out there. Condition rarities with modern coins is largely a crap shoot, since mintages are huge and values will only decrease as more and more are graded.